Dodgers' big arms to play as major of a role as the big 3

SEOUL -- In the two exhibition games against the Kiwoom Heroes and Team Korea, the Dodgers were able to show off their star-studded lineup -- led by Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at the top.

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One through nine, the Dodgers possess, arguably, the top lineup in the Majors and one of the most potent in recent memory. Outside of the top three, the Dodgers casually have Will Smith, Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández in the middle of the order. Oh, and James Outman, who finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting a season ago, is set to hit seventh.

But as stacked as the lineup is, the next two games against the Padres will give the Dodgers their first glimpse at what will be the key to their overall success during the regular season, and especially during the postseason: Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

After trotting out an injured Clayton Kershaw, an inexperienced Bobby Miller and an ineffective Lance Lynn to start postseason games last season, the Dodgers came into the offseason vowing that a lack of starting pitching won’t happen again. Getting Ohtani was the team’s priority -- it has been for years -- but just as important was securing elite starting pitching.

As the Dodgers surveyed the free-agent and trade markets, they began to formulate a plan. They checked in with teams on the likes of Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber and Jesús Luzardo just to gather more information. In free agency, they did the same.

Once they gathered all their information, they mapped out their Plan A. That top plan, which usually doesn’t work for teams given the free-for-all nature of the offseason, became pretty simple. Trade for Glasnow, who was being made available by the Rays, and sign Yamamoto, who was the most sought-after starter on the market this winter.

A month later, the Dodgers swung a trade with Tampa Bay for Glasnow and locked him up to a five-year extension. A week later, they shocked the baseball world by giving Yamamoto a record 12-year, $325 million deal despite having never thrown a pitch in the Majors. Starting pitching was a problem last season. This was their way of fixing the problem.

On Wednesday, it’ll be Glasnow who takes the mound on Opening Day against the Padres in the Seoul Series at the Gocheok SkyDome. Yamamoto will follow as the Game 2 starter. It’s just one start for the Dodgers, but in some ways, it’s the best way for them to showcase the type of offseason they had this winter.

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“The goal is to win a championship,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “We believe that having top-end starters is a big part of that. So obviously signing Yamamoto to that deal and getting a top-end starter by the way of trade, and Tyler -- who has pitched in playoff games, pitched the most he’s ever pitched in a Major League season, which was last year -- [having them] anchoring our staff, with the guys we have coming back, it’s a pretty good recipe.”

Which is exactly why the Dodgers landed on Glasnow and Yamamoto to anchor a staff that will be tasked with helping Los Angeles win a World Series in a season when falling short of that will be a disappointment.

In Glasnow’s case, the Dodgers believe the best is yet to come for the 30-year-old right-hander. When healthy, there aren’t many pitchers in the league who possess the “stuff” Glasnow can attack hitters with. He has three pitches, all of which are stellar, and his extension towards the mound makes it feel like he’s throwing his heater well over 100 mph.

The knock on Glasnow, however, is that he hasn’t stayed healthy throughout his career. He set a career high with 120 innings last season. But Glasnow believes he’s in the best spot he’s been in the past few seasons. A recurring elbow issue was resolved once he had Tommy John surgery.

“I feel really good,” Glasnow said. “The year after the Tommy John, and pitching last year, and then coming into this year and working with the coaches and strength guys with the team, I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now.”

Then there’s Yamamoto, who had his struggles in the spring, posting an 8.38 ERA in three Cactus League starts. Fair or not, scrutiny will follow Yamamoto if he struggles early. That’s what comes with signing the richest deal for a starter in big league history.

The Dodgers, however, have no doubts that Yamamoto will be at his best during the season and into October. They have scouted the Japanese phenom for years and have made him a priority for a half-decade.

With both Glasnow and Yamamoto, the Dodgers have invested a lot. They’re often overshadowed because of Ohtani’s signing this winter. But in the end, their success might be more important to the Dodgers’ World Series chances. It’ll all start at Gocheok SkyDome on Wednesday.

“I’m not a complete pitcher yet,” Yamamoto said. “I’m very happy to start my career in the big leagues.”